The Barrington Area Development Council (BADC), founded in 1966, was established to address regional planning challenges and guide thoughtful growth across the Barrington Area. Early studies supported by BADC identified the need for coordinated land-use planning, environmental stewardship, and intergovernmental cooperation.

As development pressure increased in the late 1960s, including proposals for thousands of new housing units, local leaders recognized that working together was essential to preserving community character. With the passage of the Illinois Intergovernmental Relations Act, a legal framework emerged to support regional collaboration.

On April 25, 1970, six communities – Barrington, Barrington Hills, North Barrington, South Barrington, Tower Lakes, and Deer Park – formally came together to create the Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG), choosing cooperation over annexation or consolidation. Lake Barrington later joined in 1987, further strengthening the partnership.

Today, BACOG continues to serve as a forum for collaboration among member communities, reflecting BADC’s early leadership in fostering cooperative governance, responsible growth, and long-term planning for the Barrington Area.